Wednesday, May 3, 2017

From RNS-Last week’s decision by the United Methodist Church’s top court on the consecration of openly gay bishops may have been muddled, but that just shows that the Judicial Council is “a very good representation” of the denomination, said Bishop Karen Oliveto.

“We are not of one mind when it comes to the role of LGBTQI people in the life and ministry of the United Methodist Church,” Oliveto said.

The 6-3 decision announced Friday (April 28) found that while the consecration of an openly gay bishop violates church law, Oliveto’s consecration is not in question. She remains a bishop “in good standing” until an administrative or judicial process is finished.

Opponents of Oliveto’s election and consecration have said the Judicial Council’s decision did not go far enough since it did not remove her from office. Among them, Good News — an evangelical ministry within the United Methodist Church — released a statement calling it “convoluted and ultimately unsatisfactory.”